CONSERVING WILD POTATOES

After my undergraduate, I received a Fulbright grant and lived and worked with indigenous Quechua communities in the southern Peruvian Andes for nine months. The objective of my research was to collect the baseline data needed to formulate plans to help conserve wild plant diversity. I carried my fieldwork out at the Parque de la Papa, located 40 kilometers from the city of Cusco in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

I used a mixed-methods approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data on two wild potato species Solanum acaule and S. bukasovii. In participation with community members, we carried out localized ecogeographic sur­veys to record spatial, habitat, and biophysical data on wild potato relative populations and identify ‘hotspots’ of diversity for conservation action.

I also conducted semi-structured ‘walking’ interviews with community members to gather indigenous knowledge and ethnobotanical data on wild potato rela­tives and other wild plant species.

This research helped generate evidence that small-holder farmers' actions contribute to the continuity of wild potato populations.

I wrote a report about my research. Open the PDF below to learn more!

Allen_Fulbright_Portfolio.pdf

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